First Week
by veiledndarkness
Summary: Jack knows how boys like him are dealt with. That's what scares him. Warning: slash, possible early BobbyJack if you squint


Author: veiledndarkness

Title: First Week

Rating: Pg for language

Pairing: (if any, or gen): pre-slash, possible early Bobby/Jack if you squint

Summary: Jack knows how boys like him are dealt with. That's what scares him.

Warnings: I'm putting Jack during his first few weeks at the Mercer house. I'd say he's about 12 or 13.

After his first day at the new school he was attending, Jack found himself hiding in his room. He was sitting on his bed, knees firmly wedged up against his chest, arms wrapped tight, waiting for Evelyn to come home and deal with him.

He rocked slightly, his already wet eyes wide with fear. He knew exactly what would happen. He knew exactly how boys like him were to be dealt with. He remembered.

Jack felt his breathing hitch in his chest when the door to his room opened. He held his breath, anxious to get his punishment over with. He felt a hot wave of pure panic at the sight of Bobby as he came through the doorway.

Bobby closed the door behind him, squinting in the darkness of the bedroom.

"Jackie?" he asked as he fumbled for the light switch along the wall.

Bobby turned his head at the sound of a cut off gasp.

Jack groaned and dropped his head to his knees. He'd prayed so hard that it would be Evelyn to come get him. He could handle her being angry and had been hoping it would be her. Now, he saw Bobby and felt sick to his stomach. He really liked Bobby, sensing a protective vibe about him. He felt the urge to cry again as he realized that Bobby would be the one to deal with him.

"Why are the damn lights off?" Bobby asked as he flicked the switch. He snorted as the bulb in the ceiling turned on. He heard a sniffle from the bed.

"Could you...leave it off?" he heard Jack whisper. Bobby frowned.

"Alright then, what about this one here?" he said as he walked over to the side table and snapped the light switch on the lamp. A soft glow washed over the room. Bobby's frown got deeper, his eyes harder as he took in the distraught look on Jack's face.

"What the hell happened to you today?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jack shrugged, trying vainly to look like he wasn't upset. 'I can do this; I can do this' he chanted to himself. 'Pretend it's not Bobby.'

"There a reason for the light to be off? I know we aren't rich but y'know Ma can afford to keep the lights on," Bobby said, a smirk that Jack secretly admired firmly on his face.

"I wanted the light off. It's easier for me to..." he trailed off, embarrassed and slightly frustrated. What the hell was taking Bobby so long?

'I just want to get this over with' he thought sadly.

"Easier for what?" Bobby asked; one eyebrow lifted. Jack shook his head stubbornly.

"Can we just get started?" Jack asked nervously.

"Start what?" Bobby said. "What's with you man, you're all twitchy today."

Jack sighed heavily then. "Fine."

Bobby watched with alarm as Jack crawled off the bed, stripped off his shirt and tugged down his pants. He turned to face Bobby in just his socks and underpants, his breathing faster than before. His nerve was fading fast. Bobby sat perfectly still, unable to process what he was seeing.

"Uh, I noticed that you didn't have a belt on, so um, you can use your hand or whatever" Jack said, taking slow breaths through his nose now, his heart was beating wildly.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Bobby said slowly.

Jack stared at him for a moment. "Is this a test?" he asked carefully.

Bobby took in the fact that Jack was standing in front of him, mostly naked now expecting him to ...spank him? What the hell?

"You, you want me to hit you?" he said finally.

Jack nodded. "I started a fight at school today, they sent me to the principal and said they were gonna talk to Evelyn."

Bobby blinked. "And because you started a fight, you want me to hit you."

Jack nodded again, impatiently this time. "Just hurry ok?"

"Jack, I ain't hitting you, man that is seriously fucked. Why the hell would you ask me that?" Bobby said, his face turning red. He stood up, looming over Jack.

Jack backed up two steps. "But, but you're supposed to. I'm bad, and... that's what happens to bad boys," he said.

To Bobby's dismay, Jack started to well up, his eyes watery and red.

"I don't understand" he yelled then. "Am I so bad you can't even touch me?"

Bobby winced. Good God, he'd had no idea just how messed up Jack was until that moment. "What the fuck happened to you before you got here?" he asked softly.

Jack began to cry harder, his panic quickly rising. He saw through his tears that Bobby had come closer to him, and he felt another surge of fear as Bobby reached out to grab him. He flinched, expecting the pain that followed a smack. When nothing came, he cracked one eye open.

Bobby had him in a firm hug, Jack's nose bumping against Bobby's chest. He hiccupped once as his tears tapered off. He rested his head on Bobby's chest feeling all the tendrils of panic fading.

"Jackie, we mess around here a lot, it's what some brothers do. We wrestle and fight and sometimes get hurt. No one is gonna hit you just to hurt you. No one is gonna spank you. That ain't right. You're not a little kid; you're 13 for fuck's sake. Spanking's for kids" Bobby said, humming between breaths.

"And even then, sometimes it isn't right," he added a moment later, drawing a small grin from Jack.

"You just gotta trust me, trust all of us. You'll see. Being a Mercer ain't so bad," he said softly. Jack gave Bobby a watery smile. He smiled back at him, and hugged him tightly, fighting down his urge to track down whoever put that fucked up notion in Jack's head.

"It's just the beginning sweetheart. You'll see."


End file.
